Today is the Birthday of the Elephant-headed God Ganesh. I have a little Ganesh model which a friend bought for me and I have got him out, spruced him up and given him pride of place in the living room today.

I have always loved elephants and of course used to sing that nice little song “Nellie The Elephant” when I was a wee person. Then there was that poem by Laura Elizabeth Richards

Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant—
No! no! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone—
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I’ve got it right.)
Howe’er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee—
(I fear I’d better drop the song
Of elephop and telephong!)

My mother loved elephants and she bought some elephant ornaments which are still in the front room at my Dad’s. Another thing about my mother was that she used to make this fruit cake. It was a sponge with currants in. She used to make it every week and make a lot of it. She used to give us some of this cake every day, sometimes just the one portion and sometimes two pieces. She did not eat it. She had a stash of fresh cream cakes and meringues etc. We were not offered those. We used to kind of have to say that we were not in the least bit tempted by fresh cream cakes etc as Mother’s cake was far superior.

We went on a family outing to London Zoo once. My Mother was delighted to find an Indian Elephant. In those days (yes I am a little old) the public could get very near to the animals and even feed them. Or maybe there was a notice prohibiting this. I was too young to notice. Well, Mother thought that the Elephant might like some of her cake so she offered it a piece. It held it in its trunk, put it in its mouth and then pulled it out and gave it back to her. Oh how I laughed (but not too loudly in case Mother took offense from me too) I have really loved Elephants since then.

Happy Birthday Ganesh and may all your cakes be nice ones

Rose Dixon